This invention relates to a novel vegetable growing mat particularly adapted for growing herbs, vegetables, flowers, mushrooms and the like. As used herein, "vegetable" refers to the generic term applied to vegetation grown for consumption as food or medicine, for ornamental display, or for any other known purpose, and includes, inter alia, mushrooms. The novel mat requires no thinning and is weed, insect and disease resistant.
Vegetation mats are well known in the art. Mats have been prepared having food vegetable seeds, flower seeds, and the like incorporated into a mulch and fertilizer substrate to provide "ready-made" flower or food gardens. Such devices may incorporate herbicides or weed barriers. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,414,776 to Ball discloses a seed layer applied to a paper backing, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,941,282 to Milstein discloses a laminated member for propagation of sod.
Therefore, while it is known to incorporate vegetable seeds into a structure having a growing medium, fertilizer, etc. there is a need for a vegetable mat having the capability of permitting downward growth of desired plants while preventing upward growth of undesired plants from beneath the mat.